


Just Stalling

by Catastra_Fey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eavesdropping, Feelings Realization, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language, Overheard confession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24629818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catastra_Fey/pseuds/Catastra_Fey
Summary: Daichi often needs a break after a game to just chill in the last stall in the locker room. Today though, he overhears some things that force him to face something that's been brewing for awhile.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 34
Kudos: 250





	Just Stalling

“Hey Yaku-san, do you think he's going to do it today?” Lev's loud voice cut through the music pumping into Daichi's ears, and he slipped one earbud out of his ear. 

“Lev! Shut up, you don't know who could overhear you in here!” Yaku's sharp whisper reprimanded. He heard footsteps come around the corner. In a momentary stroke of uncharacteristic sneakiness, Daichi lifted his feet up. It made him bite his lip with automatic guilt. 

It really wasn't unusual for him to hole up in the last bathroom stall after a game with just his music to help him relax for a minute. His team was pretty used to it. Riding herd on them was a full time job and between that and the rousing practice games, after a shower Daichi just needed a few minutes to decompress in his own world. He had stayed a bit longer than usual, the automatic lights flickering off and leaving him in soothing darkness. He knew the Nekoma squad would be coming in soon, so he figured he'd just wait until they reactivated the sensor. They were all on good terms with each other, especially given how regularly the coaches had been arranging practice matches for them. 

In fact, he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that part of the reason for his cool down session was to have one last run in with the Nekoma captain. What had begun as a bud of competition over a single handshake and blossomed into a playful rivalry that was honestly Daichi's favorite part of these matches. They both had fairly quick wits and the sly banter was as a much a game to them as the actual volleyball. And even more fun. He'd never really had this dynamic with anyone before and he found himself contemplating ways to incorporate it more into his life. Unfortunately, it wasn't normal to ask your rival for their phone number or email, so he was still milling it over.

And Suga kept giving him a hard time about it. He called them the USTeam captains and it made Daichi frustrated and made his face hot. Sugawara thought everyone was always flirting and it was obnoxious. He and Kuroo weren't even actual friends yet, there was no way they were flirting. It was competition. Who wouldn't want to get the upper hand on that smug bastard with his big curving smirk? 

“Yaku-san, there's no one in here, the lights were off when I came in. Now come on, he tells you stuff and I gotta know! Is he finally gonna confess?” Lev's loud whisper carried easily through the locker room, but Daichi still switched off his music entirely and slipped the ear buds into his pocket. It was a bit shameful, but another upside to his stall meditations was that occasionally he got some secondhand gossip. A confession, huh? That was pretty good stuff. He wondered if they were talking about Kenma, given the setter's quiet fixation on Hinata since their first game. He couldn't really imagine him verbalizing a confession, but he hoped that if he did, Hinata would handle it well. 

“I doubt it.” Yaku sighed heavily, the sound of a clanging locker door echoing through the open space. “He's been saying he would for the last, what, four or five visits? It's always something. He couldn't catch enough sakura petals, he had a dream about a bird that flew away, he woke up exactly thirteen minutes late, and it will be some new superstitious excuse this time too. For being such a self-assured guy, he sure is scared of Sawamura-san.” Daichi's mouth went dry, his cheeks flaring bright as his hand fell over his mouth. Him? How could it be about him? He could almost feel Suga's sly grin and implication. Could it even be anyone else? Oh god, this wasn't happening. He needed to leave right now before it got worse. 

He reached for the slider on the stall door, but the sound of the locker room door opening froze him, Kuroo's laugh echoing off the walls. Shit. There went his chance to escape. He curled up more tightly on the toilet, trying to stay as quiet as possible as the sound of the team filtering in filled the space. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but if he tried to retrieve it now, he would surely make to too much noise and be discovered. 

“Kuroo, you pouncing on the crow captain this time, or...?” Yaku teased, and there it was, confirmation to the suspicion that was making the blood rush loud in Daichi's ears. He heard Kuroo sputter, quick footsteps rounding the corner as several team members snickered. “Relax, no one's in here, we checked.” 

“I was planning on it! It seemed like a good day for it, but-”

“Here we go,” Yaku cut in. Daichi was holding his breath.

“BUT! I don't know, it started raining and then there was thunder and a cloud in the shape of-”

“He's scared Sawamura will reject him,” Kenma's smooth, low voice interrupted and the team burst into laughter.

“Kenma!” Kuroo screeched. Daichi could imagine Kuroo's red face and flustered expression clearly. He would have laughed if he hadn't have been the topic of this particularly awkward situation. His mind was racing with his own feelings on the matter, a number of things tumbling uncomfortably around in his chest. In a way this was good, because if Kuroo had pulled him aside and just confessed out of the blue, he wasn't sure _he_ would've handled it well. But...could Suga have been right? Could his draw to Kuroo be more than just the fun of witty banter and friendly competition?

“Kuroo-senpai, I don't think you have to worry!” Lev said loudly, his voice filled with surety, and Daichi leaned in to listen closely. “Sawamura is always seeking you out before and after games, he always shakes your hand, even when he doesn't have to. He always looks so happy when you guys are talking, even when you're being competitive!”

“He also usually stays late to run into you again here. There's a good chance he is harboring similar feelings. But you won't know until you ask.” Kai's even voice was sinking the hooks even deeper into Daichi. His phone buzzed again in his pocket and he pressed it hard into his leg to try to quiet it. Everything they were saying was so true, in ways they couldn't even know, in ways he hadn't even really considered before this very moment. 

“He didn't wait up today, though,” came Kuroo's somewhat dejected sounding reply. 

“I could text Tanaka-san that Sawamura left something in here!” Yamamoto struck in. It really was sweet how they all were rallying around him to encourage him. 

“Ah, no, no, no, no, don't do that. It's fine. Maybe next time.” 

“Stop being a coward. If he rejects you then at least you'll know and can move on. Your pining is getting annoying.” Daichi relaxed as his phone finally stopped buzzing. Kenma was always so straight to the point. He wished he could see Kuroo's face right then. What was he thinking? Had his features gone soft or sorrowful? The idea of him looking scared or downtrodden made Daichi's gut twist. The sound of the locker room door opening again caught his attention. Maybe they were leaving and he could get out of-

“Hey guys, sorry, Sawamura, you in here?” Cold dread washed over him at coach Ukai's voice. Oh no. They were looking for him. Had he really been here this long? What should he do? Since they were visiting Nekoma, if he missed their bus back it would be a problem, but...

Heavy footsteps moved through the otherwise silent locker room and rounded the corner. Ukai-san had found him in the last stall before, so he knew where he would be and as the footfalls approached, he grimaced. As the little stall door swung open, ice moved through him at the thought of walking back through the Nekoma team. 

“Hey, didn't you hear me? We gotta go! You're holding up the bus. Sugawara tried to call you.” Ukai looked down at him expectantly, his eyebrows drawing together at what he was likely seeing flash across his face. Desperation, horror, embarrassment. Daichi just nodded, unfolding and standing, despite feeling like there was the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

As he rounded the corner with Ukai, his face and chest feeling like it was on fire, nearly every Nekoma eye was glued on him in cold shock. All but one set. Kuroo's head was nearly fully inside his locker as he seemed to fiddle with something, but the back of his neck and ears were a bright, sunburn red. Lev was so pale that with his silver hair, he nearly looked like a ghost. Being under their gaze and within Kuroo's sphere was a searing moment that only passed when they were through the door. 

“Hey, is everything okay? They weren't giving you a hard time, were they? You look upset,” Ukai said, giving him a concerned look. 

“No, no, I'm fine. Sorry, I just lost track of time.” Oh god, he needed to fix this. It couldn't just hang out in the world until the next time they had a match with Nekoma. He pulled out his phone, noting four texts from Suga and one missed call. He tapped out a quick message and sent it.

_I need you to write my phone number on a piece of paper right now_

_What? Where the hell are you?_

_Please just do it!_

They crossed the front courtyard toward the waiting bus and Daichi just hoped beyond hope that Suga had for once in his life just listened. As they climbed on the bus, his best friend passed him a confused look, but raised a scrap of paper and he sighed in relief. He yanked it away as he reached him and shoved it in his pocket. 

“Oh! Uh, coach, I left something in the locker room, I just realized, can you please wait just one more minute?” He could almost feels Suga's death stare as he kept his eyes locked on Ukai, who turned with a sigh and a look of exasperation.

“Fine, fine, just hurry up. We are already running behind, Sawamura!” He was already dashing off the bus before the sentence was even out of his coach's mouth, running full bore back into the school. He yanked the paper out of his pocket, seeing his number in Suga's nice print...with a heart. Of course. Well, he could roll with that. As he approached the locker room, he could hear shouting inside. He wanted to listen, but there was no time, so he just flung the door open.

Every set of eyes locked on him, the entirety of team Nekoma seeming to be in a ball around Kuroo, who had Yaku in a choke hold, his other hand wrapped tight in Lev's hair. All three of them were red-faced, obviously mid-scuffle, and the others were trying to disentangle them. They'd all frozen in a comical still frame when Daichi had opened the door. Kuroo dropped them both as pure terror washed over his face. Fear was pounding through Daichi too, but he couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous scene. 

He took the few quick steps up to the Nekoma captain, letting himself really look at him for a moment. His disastrous hair fell over one eye like he was a tough guy even though he was a total nerd and Daichi knew it. His sharp golden eyes were flickering over his form, that mouth that usually sliced up in a wicked smile was in a tight line. He was so tall, with broad shoulders, long legs, and big hands that were currently nervously splayed out to his sides. 

Hmm. Yep. Seeing him well and truly flustered like this...Daichi couldn't believe he hadn't recognized it before. He slapped a hand in the middle of Kuroo's chest, tossing him a teasing grin. He left the paper crumpled there and Kuroo caught it, looking down at it with wide eyes. 

“Turns out it was your lucky day after all.” He watched his words strike Kuroo dumb, shock overtaking his face. Biting his lips to keep from grinning too broad, Daichi turned on his heel and ran out, back to the bus, and fell into the seat next to Suga. Big hazel eyes bore into him.

“What the hell, tell me what happened right now, or perish.” 

“Well, savor this moment, Suga. You were right.”


End file.
